Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	believe_v	faith_n	live_v	4,033	5	5.9126	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09977	Life eternall or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Ball, Thomas, 1589 or 90-1659.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1631 (1631)	STC 20231; ESTC S115069	220,964	434

sees that there is an Almightie GOD that takes notice of him he is able to stand against and despise them all and is not stirred an haires breadth out of the way for it they are as waters beating against a rocke Consider the Martyrs that died in the fire if you had stood by you would have said Surely that man hath a strong faith that can goe out of this life and suffer such a kinde of death but why doth he doe it because he beleeves that there is a GOD that is a rewarder of them that seeke him So every regenerate man whatsoever he doth he doth it with the same faith that they did only here is the difference the Martyrs spent all at once and these doe it but drop by drop as when a man forbeares all present joyes which this life consists in it is as it were a dying by peece-meales a dying drop by drop as Paul said I dye daily If one of us were to suffer as the Martyrs did what is it that would establish our soules it is the beleefe of these principles that inables the Saints to doe all this you live by your faith in these principles though you observe it not for this is a thing that is to be marked to this purpose that the opinions of men their imaginations and thoughts they all proceed from such notions as lye more overly in their hearts but their actions proceed from the strong setled notions and principles that are riveted in their inward heart And therefore observe the lives of men such as their principles in them are such are their actions For as it is true on the one side where men beleeve there they come to God so it is true on the otherside if men be not grounded in these first principles if they doe not beleeve they doe not come to him but goe on unevenly in their wayes and forsake their profession Now whence comes this uneven walking this exorbitance of the wheeles but from the weaknesse of the maine spring that sets all on motion because these are the first springs that set all the rest on worke For could a man be carried away by the praise of men by the voice and breath of man on the one side or could he be discouraged by the scoffes of men on the other side if he did fully beleeve this principle it is impossible he should as Esay 52. As if he should say It is impossible that men should shrinke so at the face of man if they did not forget the Lord their Maker Hence it is although you doe not observe from whence it comes yet hence doe come all those fruits of Atheisme in the lives of men all that unthankfulnesse that men can take blessings at GODS hands and never give him thankes nay rather they render evill for good hence it is that men trust in meanes more than in God hence it is that men are so unholy when they come into his presence they are not strucke with feare and reverence of his Majestie when they come before him hence also comes that carelessenesse in the lives of men that feare not his Word but walke on in a carelesse and remisse manner and hence also is that hasting after honours and profits with the neglect of better things they all arise from hence even the weaknesse of the assent to these maine principles for there is a double kinde of Atheisme in the heart there is a direct thought of Atheisme when a man doubts of the truth of these principles and knows he doth so Secondly when a man doubts and knowes not that he doubts Object But you will say If it be of so much moment then what is the way to strengthen our faith in them Answ. It is exceeding profitable to search and examine these truths to the ful not to give over pondering of them till your hearts be established in the present truth It is good to doe with your selves as Eliah did in the case of Baal Why halt you betweene two religions come to that disjunction If Baal be god follow him So I say to you in this case examine it to the full if these principles be not true walke according to your liberty and lusts take no paines but live as your nature would have you but if they be true then walke so as if thou didst throughly beleeve them so to be the beleefe of them is that which will carry us through all losses and slanders through good report and ill report if thou didst throughly beleeve them they would make thee doe any thing for God I say it is very profitable to come to this disjunction and it strengthens our faith much and this being laid then draw the conclusion from it that we thus here must live and that it is here best for us to doe so To pray to God to strengthen our faith in these common principles to say as the Disciples did LORD increase our faith you see that Christ did it when Peters faith failed him he prayed that it might bee strengthened and when you have found any weaknesse or doubting you must remember that faith in these principles is the gift of God There is indeed a common faith which others may have and thou mayest have but the strong faith ariseth from the Spirit God dispenseth it where he pleaseth this infused faith is not gotten by strength of argument or perspicuitie of the understanding it is not brought in by custome but God doth worke it it is not all the antecedent preparation that wil doe it but God must first worke it and then you are able to beleeve these principles of faith and able to beleeve them to the purpose When thou hast such a habit lying in thy soule the more thou readest the Word and acquaintest thy selfe with it day by day the more stronger doth thy faith grow Rom. 10. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of GOD that is it is a meanes by which God workes it both in the beginning and increase of it Therefore take that exhortation which is in Coloss. 3.16 Let the Word dwell in you plenteously c. that is let it not come as a stranger looking to it now and then as it is the fashion of most men but let it be familiar with you let it dwell with you and let it dwell with you plentifully that is reade not a Chapter or two but all the Word be not content to know one part of it but know it thorowout Lastly let it be in wisdome A man may reade much and understand little because he knowes not the meaning of it a childe may be able to say much by hart and yet not have it in wisdome therefore let the Word dwell plentifully in you in all wisdome It is profitable to converse with faithfull men As it is said of Barnabas hee was a man full of faith therefore it is said he

looke how men doe this in a greater measure so much greater Atheisme they have Againe if you doe beleeve that there is such a God what is the reason when you have any thing to doe that you runne to creatures and seek help from them and busie your selves wholly about outward meanes and seeke not to God by prayer and renewing of your repentance if you did fully beleeve that there is a God you would rather doe this Againe What is the reason that men are carried away with the present as Aristotle cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this same very nunc doth transport a man from the wayes of vertue to vice that they are too busie about the body and are carelesse of the immortall soule that they suffer that to lye like a forlorne prisoner and to sterve within them Would you doe so if you did beleeve that there is such a God that made the soule to whom it must returne and give an account and live with him for ever Againe what is the reason that men doe seeke so for the things of this life are so carefull in building houses gathering estates and preparing for themselves here such goodly mansions for their bodies and spend no time to adorne the soule when yet these doe but grace us amongst men and are only for present use and looke not for those things which commend the soule to God and regard not eternity in which the soule must live I say what is the reason of this if there be not some grounds of secret Atheisme in men What is the reason that there is such stupidity in men that the threatnings will not move them they will be moved with nothing like beasts but present strokes that they doe not fore-see the plague to prevent it but go on and are punished And so for Gods promises and rewards Why will you not forbeare sinne that you may receive the promises and the rewards Whence is this stupiditie both wayes Why are we as beasts led with sensuality that we will not be drawne to that which belongs to God and his Kingdome Is not this an argument of secret Atheisme and impiety in the heart of every man more or lesse Againe what is the reason that when men come into the presence of God they carry themselves so negligently not caring how their soules are clad and what the behaviour of their spirits is before him If you should come before men you would looke that your cloaths be neat and decent and you will carry your selves with such reverence as becomes him in whose presence you stand this proceeds from Atheisme in the hearts of men not beleeving the Lord to be hee that fills the Heaven and the Earth Therefore as you finde these things in you more or lesse so labour to confirme this principle more and more to your selves and you should say when you heare these arguments certainly I will beleeve it more firmely surely I will hover no more about it To what end are more lights brought but that you should see things more clearely which you did not before So that this double use you shall make of it One is to fix this conclusion in you hearts and to fasten it daily upon your soules Vse 2 The second is if there be such a mightie God then labour to draw such consequences as may arise from such a conclusion As if there be such a one that fils Heaven and Earth then looke upon him as one that sees all you doe and heares whatsoever you speake As when you see a ship passe thorow the sea and see the sailes applied to the wind and taken downe and hoysed up againe as the wind requires and shall see it keepe such a constant course to such a haven avoiding the rockes and sands you will say surely there is one within that guides it for it could not doe this of it selfe or as when you look upon the body of man and see it live and move and doe the actions of a living man you must needs say the bodie could not doe this of it selfe but there must be something within that quickens it and causeth all the actions even so when you looke upon the creatures and see them to doe such things which of themselves they are no more able to doe than the body can doe the actions that it doth without the soule therefore hence you may gather that there is a God that fils Heaven and Earth and doth whatsoever hee pleaseth and if this be so then draw nigh to him converse with him and walke with him from day to day observe him in all his dealings with us and our dealings with him and one with another be thankfull to him for all the blessings wee enjoy and flye to him for succour in all dangers and upon all occasions THE SECOND SERMON HEBREWES 11.6 He that commeth to God must beleeve that GOd is c. BEfore we come to the second sort of arguments to prove this principle that GOD is by faith we thinke it necessarie to answer some objections of Atheisme which may arise and trouble the hearts of men Object 1 Men are ready to say that which you shall finde in 2 Pet. 3.4 All things have continued alike since the creation That is when men looke upon the condition of things they see the Sunne rise and set againe and see the rivers runne in a circle into the sea the day followes the night c. the winds returne in their compasses and they have done so continually and there is no alteration therefore they doubt whether there be such a God that hath given a beginning to these things and shall give an end Answ. 1 For answer to this consider that these bodies of ours which we carry about with us which we know had a beginning and shall have an end that there is something in them that is as constant as any of the former as the beating of the pulse the breathing of the lungs and the motion of the heart and yet the body had a beginning and shall have an end Now what is the difference betweene these two It is but small this continueth only for some tithes of yeares but the world for thousands the difference is not great and therefore why should you not thinke it had a beginning as well as your body and likewise shall have an ending See what the Apostle saith in this place though all things continue alike yet there are two reasons whereby hee proves that God made the world and that the world shall have an end 1 The first is laid downe in verse 5. For this they are willingly ignorant of that by the Word of GOD the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the waters and in the waters That is naturally the waters would cover the earth as it did at the beginning for the naturall place of the waters is above the earth even as of the aire above the waters Now

to morrow you will not love therefore love them not regard them not for they are of a flitting and passing nature but he that doth the will of the LORD abides for ever and therefore we are to minde such things most such as the King is such are his subjects and such are the rewards and punishments that he gives Now God hee is eternall 1 Tim. 1.17 To the King eternall immortall invisible and only wise GOD be honour and glory for ever And as he is an eternall King so he hath given to us his subjects to be eternall as the soule is and he hath given punishments and rewards eternall hell is an everlasting prison and heaven is an eternall Palace therefore these are the things most to be regarded of us And if wee would but throughly consider that these things are eternall it would effectually draw our mindes to the things that are above A man that comes to an Inne if he can get a better roome he will if not hee can be content with it for hee saith it is but for a night so your habitation here is but for a night if you can have a better condition use it rather but if not be not much moved for it is but for a night In worldly things the shortnesse of them makes us to undergoe them cheerefully An apprentiship that is hard a man will indure it for hee saith it is but for a time so things that are pleasant if they be but of short continuance wee regard them the lesse Now our time that we have here in respect of eternity is shorter than an apprentiship nay than a night nay shorter than an houre Now put the case that a man should have an houre given him and it should be said to him as thou spendest this houre so thou shalt live all thy dayes what would not a man doe or what would he not suffer how carefull would he be to spend this houre well Now this life is not so much as an houre to eternitie and therefore why should we not be carefull how we spend this houre seeing it shall be with us for ever according as wee spend it 1 Cor. 9.25 Every one that striveth for the mastery is temperate now they doe it to obtaine a corruptible crowne but we an incorruptible Thus he reasoneth If men that use these Olympian gaines if they will endure so much hardship and abstinence accustome their bodies to heat and cold for the race before-hand and doe all but for a crowne that will last but this life at the most and shall not we saith he for an incorruptible crowne Beloved If wee would sit downe but one halfe houre and consider seriously what eternity is it would make us to neglect all temporary things which now we are so affected with It is eternitie my brethren and the consideration of it that doth set an high price upon grace and gives the just weight to sinne but it makes all other things exceeding light for this is a true rule that untill we come to apprehend sinne as the greatest evill in the world we are not truly humbled and it is eternitie that makes it to be so for as was said before eternitie makes an evill infinitely the greater Now if you looke upon all other things as honour and disgrace and the favour of men they reach but a little way but to the end of this life at the utmost but if you looke to the reach of grace and sin they reach as it were a thousand thousand miles beyond it Grace reacheth to eternitie and sinne reaches to eternitie and therefore these are the things that a man should be busied about What a shame is it for a man to grieve for some outward crosses and to rejoyce much for some preferment here and not to regard or be affected with eternity It is the phrase that the Apostle Paul useth he cals it mans day I care not to be judged by mans day and indeed it is but a short day and what is it to that eternitie I looke for What is it to that God with whom I must live for ever therefore I care not what men say of me but I rather thinke what the eternall God thinkes of me and what will be thought of mee in that Kingdome where I must live for ever If a man were in Turkie or in some other remote place to trafficke there a while hee would not care what the men of that place thought of him for hee saith this is not the place where I must live so doe you but consider that this is not the place where you must live and then of what moment will it appeare to you what men say of you Beloved if the soule were mortall there were some reason that you should make provision for it here but seeing it is immortall you ought to make a proportionable provision for it even for ever for the body you are apt to make provision a viaticum beyond the journey but consider that you have an immortall soule which must live for ever and you must make some provision for it to carry it so long a journey It is our Saviours exhortation Ioh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endures to everlasting life c. As if he should say if you had no other life to live but this then you might seeke the things of this life as glory honour pleasure c but these things perish and the taste of them perisheth as the sweetnesse of meat in the eating but saith our Saviour seeke those things that will abide for ever you have an everlasting life to live therefore you must make some provision answerable thereunto As for the body the soule weares it but as a garment and when it is worne out the soule must have a new suit of apparell one day Well seeing God hath brought this point to our hands this day let me but prevaile with you so farre as to set some time apart the following weeke where you may enter into a serious consideration of eternitie the very thinking of it will be of great moment to you for looke what the object is such is the soule about which it is conversant high objects lift up the soule to the Lord and make the minde answerable to them and low objects make the minde like to them Now eternitie is an high object and it will worke in men high mindes and hence it is for the want of this consideration that when a man comes to die and sees eternitie before him how it doth then so amaze the soule of man I have seene it by experience I knew one who said If it were but for a thousand yeares I could beare it but seeing it is to eternitie this amazeth me Behold if you would consider that after many thousands of yeares are past yet you are to begin as at the first if men did consider this seriously would they let their

them as Haman had of Mordecai to hate that beloved pollution which cleaves so fast to thy spirit this were a blessed thing Thou must yet goe a step further that is to get it mortified to get it utterly cast out slaine and killed not to suffer it to live with thee thou must doe with such a pollution of thy spirit as thou doest with thine utter enemy whom thou followest to death and wilt have the law upon him and wilt be content with nothing but his life So when thou hast found out thy sinne then goe this step further to have it out before the Lord and cry against it and say that it is his enemy thy enemy an enemy to his grace it hath sought thy life and thou wilt have the life of it before thou hast done this thou shouldest doe to get it utterly cast out to get an utter separation betwixt thy soule and it so that if there should come a temptation to hee againe if there should be pleasure on the one hand and threatnings on the other then thou shouldest say rather any thing than this sinne than this lust it is my greatest enemy that hath done me thus much mischiefe so that thy soule doth not onely loath it but thou wilt not suffer it to live in thee this is that which wee ought to doe if wee would cleanse our spirits When a man hath done all this thou must goe to God and beseech him that hee would melt that soder as it were that he would make a dissolution that he would sever thy soule and the lust that cleaves so fast to it That which made the soule and the object to cleave so fast together is lust that is the soder which like unto soder must be melted with fire Isay 4.4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Sion and shall have purged the blood of Ierusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of wisedome and by the spirit of burning that is the holy Ghost who is as fire that melts the soder and loosens it also the word Ier. 23.24 so also in Mal. 3. Christ there is compared to fire and to Fullers sope and all to expresse the divers wayes that the Lord hath to cleanse our spirits from sinne Sinne cleaves to the soule as drosse to the gold now the spirit of burning cleanseth and purifies it yea it doth it violently and therefore it is said to be a hammer also in Ieremy Againe sinne sinkes in as a deepe staine therefore Christ is as sope to cleanse it And therefore goe and say to God Rather than I should not be cleansed Lord cleanse me with the fire of affliction as it is also called Zach. 13.9 And I will bring the third part saith the Lord through the fire and will refine thē as silver is refined will try them as gold is tryed It were best my beloved if you would yeeld to the Spirit the Word that they may cleanse you before his sight For if that will not doe he will come with the fire of affliction and it is better that you should be dealt so with than that your soules being still uncleane should perish for ever To fit thy spirit for the Lord that is a spirit and the father of spirits thou must goe yet one step further thou must labour to beautifie it to seeke to adorne it by a spirituall excellency Now if thou wouldest beautifie it by any thing seeke not for outward excellencies as clothes or fine apparell or adorning in the sight of men but seeke such an excellency as is sutable to the spirit seeke not other things for they are such things that God regards not So that as every man seekes some excellency or other that which thou art to seeke is to get spirituall excellency such as may beautifie thy heart for that which is outward God regardeth not You shall see an excellent place for this Isay 66.2 All these things hath my hand made saith the Lord but to this man will I looke even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word When the Lord lookes upon all things here below they are all at his command my hand hath made them saith he and I can dispose of them as I will but what is it of all them that I doe esteeme a spirit that is fashioned and beautified with inward ornaments so that it trembles at my word that is the thing which I regard So 1 Pet. 3.3 you have a comparison there of outward excellencies and of the spirituall decking of the inward man which the Apostle preferreth because that is a thing that is esteemed of by God Whose adorning saith the Apostle let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the haire and of wearing golde or of putting on of apparell But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price So it is said of wisedome Prov. 3.22 It shall be life to thy soule and grace to thy necke that is wisedome adornes the soule in the sight of God therefore that is the excellency that is chiefly to be sought by us even thus to adorne the soule And there is good reason for it for if thou consider what thy body is and what thy spirit is thou shalt see that all these things that doe adorne the outward man are not the excellencies to bee sought after Indeed there are divers kindes of those excellencies they are of three sorts First excellency of clothes and building and such gaudy things which children and vaine men and women are sensible of Secondly great titles and honours and great rewards which a higher sort of men are capable of Thirdly the excellency of learning and knowledge and skill in arts and sciences and this also is but an outward excellency for though it be seated in the spirit yet it inables onely to outward things These are not the excellencies that thou shouldest seeke for but it is an excellency of the spirit thou art to regard looke to thy spirit what that is for as the spirit is such is the man Spiritus est perfectio hominis this is the proper excellency the body is but as it were the sheath for the soule a man is said to be more excellent as his soule is excellent Other excellency is but an outward excellency this excellency is that which is intrinsecall to a man the other are but adventitious they are not proper it is not that which makes the difference The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour There is a difference of honour but all these are but accidentall differences the essential difference is the spirit and that is it which God regards and by this thou excellest thy neighbour All other excellencies are but as when a mule or an

Christ Ioh 4.34 Iesus saith unto them my meate is to doe the will of my Father and to finish his worke that is I will be content to neglect my body to doe that which is the worke of my spirit the worke of my Father And such is his owne advice seeke not the loaves saith he nourish not your bodies labour not for the meate that perisheth but looke that thy soule get the better in all things Object But how shall I know this whether my soule doth rule or no Answ. When the bodily appetite and inclination shall arise so high as to rule the sterne of the soule and the actions of it then the body gets rule over the soule but when these shall bee subdued and ruled and guided by the soule when they shall bee brought to that square which the spirit within shall set downe then the spirit rules over the body Object But my inclinations are strong and I cannot rule them what must I doe then Answ. Thou must doe in this case as Saint Paul did who kept under his body by violence as men use to tame horses we should keepe it downe wee must take heed of carnall lusts they will keepe the body too high as a Horse may be too lustie for his rider yet so as on the other side it must not be kept too low for the body is the instrument of the soule but onely the soule must have dominion over it it should alwayes bee subject to the principall agent as it is said of a servant that he should not be Supra negotium nor infra negotium but par negotio not above nor below but fit for his businesse so ought the body to be the soules servant Beloved consider this doe but thinke what your soules are that you should suffer them to be thus in subjection Thinke what a shame it is that these bodily affections should so overrule the spirit that is made like to God the soule that shall live for ever the soule for which Christ dyed that is better then all the world beside thinke I say with your selves what a sencelesse and unreasonable thing it is that this soule should be kept under by the body and that the body should rule over it Are not men in this kinde like to beasts subject to sensualitie that eate that they may play and play that they may eate and the soule is not considered all this while how it is a spirit that is like to God himselfe who is a spirit Alas what is the body to it It is in it as in a prison such is the body to the soule not to be regarded in comparison of it Therefore adde this to the other that the soule may still be advanced and that it suffer not bodily actions to bring it into subjection lest you be as bruite beasts subject to sensuality made to be taken and to be destroyed FINIS THE ELEVENTH SERMON EXODVS 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. Vse 2 A Second use from this point is this If God be a spirit then his dominion government and providence is chiefly exercised on the spirits of men It is true his providence is over all things that belong to us but as he is in himselfe a Spirit so he puts forth and exerciseth this power of his principally in guiding the spirits of men and in that you are chiefly to observe his providence toward you And that you shall see in Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God that is his rule and power is not in meate and drinke for they are outward things and hee that is a spirit regards them not but it is in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost that is in the things that belong to the spirit therein is his kingdome and dominion chiefly exercised So also Psal. 33.14 15. From the place of his habitation hee looketh downe upon all the inhabitants of the earth he fashioneth their hearts alike hee considereth all their workes Marke it when God lookes downe from heaven and beholdes the children of men the chiefest thing that he doth wherein his government is exercised is in that hee fashions their hearts and spirits and therefore those eternall subjects of his that live with him for ever and spirits as the Angels and the soules of men Therefore if thou wouldest observe the will of the Lord toward thee and wouldest see wherein his providence is chiefly exercised looke upon thy spirit upon all occasions that is what bents what inclinations what hopes and desires hee hath put into thy soule If you looke upon men in the world you shall see them divers in their spirits one man lusts after riches honour and preferment another after gaming sporting and drinking now looke upon this temper of spirit as the greatest judgement of all others Againe looke upon the spirits of other men they are fashioned a contrary way to deny themselves to seeke grace and avoid sinne to be content to have God alone to doe his worke and to leave their wages to God to live a painfull life serving God and men with their sweetnesse this is a quite contrary spirit and this is the greatest blessing Therefore you shall see that when the Lord is angry with a man so that his anger is wound up to the highest pegge then he gives him over to this judgement as it is Psal. 81.12 So I gave them over to their owne hearts lust and they walked in their owne counsells that is my judgement shall be executed upon their spirits to leave them to an unjudicious minde Againe on the other side when the Lord would doe a man the greatest kindnesse then he fashions his spirit another way Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou maist live as if he should say when I minde to doe you a kindnesse then I will thus fashion your hearts aright So Ezek 36.26 A new heart also will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh The Scripture is plentifull in this Therefore if thou wouldest observe what the LORD is to thee looke how hee fashions thy spirit if thou findest that hee leaves thee to unruly affections and lusts and leaves thee to be glued to that from which thou shouldest be divorced or that he hath left thee in bondage to the feare of men as a snare to thee there is no greater judgement in the world than this as it is the greatest mercy on the